Hat-display rack



{No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet' l. 0. O. DEANE. HAT DISPLAY RACK.

Patented June 30,1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES C. DEANE, OF \VAYLAND, MICHIGAN.

HAT- D I S PLAY RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,809, dated June 30,1896.

Application filed January 22, 1896. Serial No. 576,450. (No model.)

To (t-ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES C. DEANE, a resident of WVayland, in thecounty of Allegan and State of )Iichigan, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Display- Racks and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will en able others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in hat racks or holders, itsobject being to produce a hat rack or holder capable of supporting anddisplaying soft as well as stiff hats, so that the hats will beprevented from becoming injured or having their proper shape affected.

A further object is to construct the device in such manner that the hatsmaybe inclosed and thus protected from dust, or so that said hats may bedisplayed to great advantage without injury.

A further object is to produce a device for the purpose stated whichshall be simple in construction, ornamental in appearance, and effectualin the performance of its functions.

With these objects in view the invention consists in certain novelfeatures of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, ashereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the device open.Fig. 2 is asimilar view showing the device closed. Fig. 3 is a verticalsectional view. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of the racks for holdingthe hats. Fig. 6 is aview of a modification. Fig. 7 is a plan, partly insection, of a modification, in which the rod G is connected with theouter section and serves as a stop for the inner section in each of itsextreme movements.

A represents a base or casing in which a drawer B (one or more) isplaced for the reception of price-tickets, number-tickets, hatbrushes,or other devices which it maybe desired to place in the drawer ordrawers.

Secured to the top of the box or casing A by means of screws, or in anyother suitable manner, is my improved hat rack or case C. The box orcasing A may be made square for the accommodation of a single rack, andit may be made of any desired length for the accommodation of a numberof racks.

The base or bottom of the rack or casin g C is composed of a circularplate or block a, to about one-half of the periphery of which the lowerend of a thin sheet metal, tin, veneer, or papier-mach case or shell Dis secured, said case or shell being semicircular in crosssection.

The edges of the shell or case D are turned outwardly to produce flanges3), whereby to strengthen said shell or case, and at the upper end saidshell or case is secured to a circular block or plate a.

A bolt 0 is passed through the center of the plate or block a andsecured to it, and said bolt passes loosely through the center of acircular revoluble plate or block d, located immediately under the blockor plate a.

Another boltpasses through the lower block or plate a and is securedthereto, said bolt passing loosely through a block or plate cl, ofslightly less diameter, located immediately above the block a. Asemicircular sheetmetal case or shell D is secured at its ends to theblocks or plates (2 d, and is provided at its ends with flanges b tostrengthen said shell or casing D. In order to hide the operating partsof the case or shell and lend an ornamental appearance to the device,strips of crimped metal or other ornamental device E are secured to theperipheries of the blocks or plates a a, and project over theperipheries of the blocks or plates (1 d.

The casing produced by the shells or cases D D maybe of any suitableheight to accommodate any desired number of hats, and when said casingsare made very high, the shell or case D will preferably be braced bymeans of a strip f,.located about midway between its ends.

The upper surface of the lower block or plate cl and the lower surfaceof the block or plate (I are preferably covered with plush or similarmaterial g.

Secured at its ends to the blocks "or disks (1 d is a rod or standard G,(one of any desired number,) which adjustably supports a series of racksor holders which will nowbe described in detail, a description of onesufficing forall. A clamp z' is secured on the rod or standard G, ofwood or other suitable material, and adapted to slide thereon, beingretained at any desired position by means of a thumbscrew 2', whichpasses through an arm 2 of said clamp and impinges against said rod orstandard. The clampt' is made open, so that it can be applied to the rodG at any point, thus avoiding the necessity of removing the rod to applythe clamps. The clamp 2' projects laterally from the rod or standard Gand is provided in proximity to its free end with a socket orperforation t for the reception of the shank 1 of a bracket (preferablyof wire) II.

From the top of the shank 1 the wire composing the bracket is firstextended laterally in a straight line, as at 3, and then downwardly andobliquely, as at l. From the lower end of the portion 4 the wireprojects upwardly in an oblique direction, as at 4, and is provided atits upper or outer end with a rack or holder I.

The rack or holder I is preferably :made of two parts, so as to beexpansible to accommodate hats of different sizes, and the part 5 ofsaid holder may be made integral with the arm or portion 4* of thebracket H or it may be made separate therefrom and secured thereto inany suitable manner. The free ends of the curved portion 5 of the rackare provided with sockets 7 for the reception of the free ends of theportion 8 of said rack, thus permitting the size of the rack or holderto be increased or diminished to accommodate hats of different sizes, asabove alluded to, or the portion 8 may be omitted, if desired.

Instead of so bending the wire composing the bracket as to produce anobtuse angle at the meeting-point of the arms 4 and 4 the arm i maybemade vertical, so as to produce an acute angle at the meeting-point ofsaid arms, .as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 4.

By means of a rack or holder constructed and arranged as abovedescribed, soft or stiif hats may be support-ed thereby without theslightest danger of becominginjured or their shape disadvantageouslyaffected.

By the employment of this device the disadvantageous and annoyingeffects of hatboxes are avoided, as wellas the injurious consequences ofstoring hats on shelves and in ordinary show-cases. Again, the devicemay be closed and the hats incased therein when desired to protect themfrom. dust, 850. hen the device is open, the holders may be swung outand the hats displayed to great advantage.

If desired, the case D may be closed by a glass plate. Said case orshell D will also be .provided with a knob j by means of which to Ioperate it.

To adapt the device for millinery, the} tion.

parts a and a it is located adjacent to one of the edges 1) of the shellD, and in order to allow the inner shell D to swing far enough to closethe ends (1 and d are recessed or cut away a trifle, as shown, toreceive the rod.

The device is very simple in construction, ornamental in appearance, andeffectual in the performance of its functions.

Slight changes may be made in the details of construction of myinvention without departing from the spirit thereof or limiting itsscope. Hence I do not wish to limit myself to the precise details ofconstruction herein described; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a display-rack, the combination of an outer semicircular shell, aninner semicircular shell pivoted and adapted to turn therein, and .rodextending vertically from an end of the outer shell, and acting as astop for the inner shell ineach of itsextreme movements, substantiallyas set forth.

2. In a display-rack, the combination with an outer semicircular shelland an inner semicircular shell, of a rod extending from the top to thebottom of the rack-casing said rod acting as a stop for the inner shellin each of its extreme positions, and serving as ,a support for avertically-adjustable open clamp, constructed to be readily applied andsecured to the rod at any desired point, said clamp being provided witha horizontal hat-supportin g arm or bracket, substantially as set forth.

3. In a display-rack for hats, the combination with a semicircular shellhaving end pieces connected therewith, and an inner sem icircular shelladapted to be partly revolved, and having semicircular end piecesattached thereto, of a rod connected to the top and bottom of the outershell, and serving as a stop for the upper and lower ends of the innershell, said end pieces beingcut away to allow of the completehalf-revolution of the inner shell, substantially as set forth.

4. In a display-rack, the combination with a rod, an open clampconstructed to be applied and secured at any point on the rod, of abracket pivotally connected at one end to the clamp and constructed withan adjustable loop-support at its outer end, substantially as set forth.

5. In a display-rack, the combination with a rod, of an adjustableclamp, and a bracket consisting of a U-shaped arm having sockets in itsends, and a U-shaped adjustable ex.- tension, the ends of which enterthe sockets in said arm, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES c. DEANE.

XVitnesses:

H. J. TURNER, L. COOPER.

